The Watercolors of Laurin McCracken .....
by Bill Hudson
One of the rewards of writing a monthly Newsletter is reading your responses and realizing that the articles have some interest and value to many of you. There are about 2500 subscribers, so the comments I receive vary widely from people who are artists themselves to people who are simply drawn to art, to nature, and to the thoughts of those who create art.
Last month I was pleased to receive an email from
Laurin McCracken
who, like me, fondly remembered his first set of model trains and the tunnels he made from old shoe boxes (ref Jan 2018 Newsletter “There’s Magic In Those Trains”). Although we had never met, I recognized Laurin as a very accomplished, well-known watercolor artist who produces stunning, incredibly realistic paintings of elegant crystal and silverware against near-black backgrounds that one would think impossible to achieve with watercolor alone.
I asked Laurin if he would be willing to share some of his techniques. He didn't hesitate! Like most artists who want to help others enjoy the experience of art, he quickly and generously offered some of his blog posts that can be found on the new Daniel Smith website,
DanielSmith.com
. I chose to include the post shown below in this month's Newsletter.
Born in Meridian, Mississippi, Laurin studied at Auburn University and holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Architecture from Rice University and a Masters in Architecture and Urban Planning from Princeton University. He currently lives and paints in Fort Worth, Texas. He has combined his architectural skills with his experiences studying art history, drawing, taking photographs, and visiting many of the world's leading museums to evolve his style as a premier watercolorist.
His success as a painter is an example of what can be accomplished later in life. He is now a retired architect who took his first watercolor lesson the year he turned 60. He now travels the world lecturing and exhibiting his paintings.
He is a signature member of more than a dozen watercolor societies including the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Southern Watercolor Society, Watercolor West, and Watercolor USA Honor Society of which he is President. He is an Elected Member of the Allied Artists of America in their Watermedia Category.
“Not every painter can see things uniquely, but it is imperative that a painter see things differently and with a certain clarity that the average individual might not see. That is the value we bring to our craft. It is the combination of those abilities and a fundamental mastery of the craft that makes us artists.”
Laurin McCracken
www.lauringallery.com
